A group of islands in the southwest central Pacific, divided into american samoa and the independent state of samoa (Western Samoa). First European contact was made in 1722 by Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutchman. In 1768 they were named Navigators islands by Louis de Bougainville. The present name may derive from that of a local chieftain or from a local word meaning place of the moa, a now-extinct island bird. (From Webster's New Geographical dictionary, 1988, p1061 & Room, Brewer's dictionary of names, 1992, p481)